Archive for
June, 2010

The Los Angeles Clippers acquired the draft rights to University of Kentucky guard Eric Bledsoe from the Oklahoma City Thunder in exchange for a future protected first round draft pick. Originally selected by the Thunder with the 18th pick in the 2010 NBA Draft at the WaMu Theater at Madison Square Garden in New York City, Bledsoe joins number eight pick Al-Farouq Aminu as the Clippers second player chosen in the first round of this year’s draft.

Bledsoe, 20, appeared in 37 games for Kentucky in 2009-10, averaging 11.3 points, 2.9 assists and 3.1 rebounds per game in his first college season. A Birmingham, Alabama native, Bledsoe averaged 15.3 points per game and shot 58 percent during the Wildcats NCAA Tournament run and hit on 38 percent from three-point range during the season.

The 6-foot-1 inch, 190 pound guard was named to the Sporting News SEC All-Freshman Team and was named a CollegeInsider.com Freshman All-American. Bledsoe comes to the Clippers in the club’s 14th draft day trade since 1982 and brings toughness and athleticism to the Clippers in addition to a deft long-range shooting touch.

Hayward, a 6-6 forward, started 118 of his 138 games at Marquette, averaging 13.5 points and 6.6 rebounds while shooting 45.2 percent from the field and 35.7 percent from behind the arc. The second all-time leading scorer in Marquette history with 1,859 career points, Hayward played in a school-record 138 games and earned Second Team All-Big East and Honorable Mention AP All-American honors as a senior. He was recently named Most Outstanding Player at the 2010 NABC All-Star Game.

Bjelica, a 6-10 forward from Serbia, averaged 9.9 points per game in 20 appearances last season for KK Crvena Zvezda in the Adriatic League, and improved to 20.2 points per game in six appearances in the Serbia A League. He was also the leading rebounder on the silver medal-winning Serbian National Team in Eurobasket 2009 last fall.

Prestes, a 6-11 center, currently plays for CB Murcia in the Spanish ACB League. The native of Brazil averaged 9.2 points and 7.3 rebounds per game in the Spanish ACB league this season while shooting 57.4 percent from the field. On a per minute basis, Prestes is the top rebounder in his league.

The Phoenix Suns have signed assistant coaches Dan Majerle, Bill Cartwright and Igor Kokoskov to contracts through the 2011-12 season, the club announced today.

“I could not be happier to keep Dan, Bill and Igor on our staff,” said Suns Head Coach Alvin Gentry. “Finalizing their return was just a matter of time. Our success this season was a product of how well our team worked together and how badly our guys wanted to win, and that included our entire coaching staff.”

Majerle, Cartwright and Kokoskov originally joined the Suns’ coaching staff on June 20, 2008, and have served on the club’s bench each of the last two seasons. The trio has served on the staff of head coach Alvin Gentry for his entire 113-game tenure.

The 44-year-old Majerle was a three-time NBA All-Star (1992, 1993, 1995), all with the Suns, during his 14-year career with Phoenix, Cleveland and Miami. Nicknamed “Thunder,” Majerle became a permanent fan favorite while playing eight seasons with the Suns (1988-95, 2001-02) and was given the club’s highest honor, induction into the Ring of Honor, on March 9, 2003. Majerle retired as the Suns’ all-time leader in three-point field goals made, a record now held by Steve Nash, and ranks 18th in that category in NBA history overall (1360).

Majerle served as the head coach of the Suns’ Las Vegas Summer League squads in 2008 and 2009, and will do so again in 2010. Before joining the Phoenix coaching staff, Majerle spent the previous four seasons as a television analyst for Suns’ broadcasts and also worked in that capacity for TNT, ESPN and ABC.

A five-time NBA champion as a player and coach, Cartwright owns a wealth of coaching experience established over 12 seasons as an NBA assistant coach and parts of three seasons as head coach of the Chicago Bulls (151 games). Cartwright served six seasons in the Bulls organization under Phil Jackson (1996-98) and Tim Floyd (1998-2001) and was on the staff of Chicago’s 1997 and 1998 championship squads. Cartwright then spent four seasons on the bench of the New Jersey’s Nets before joining the Suns in the summer of 2008.

The third overall pick of the 1979 NBA Draft by the New York Knicks, Cartwright spent his first eight seasons in the Big Apple before a 1988 trade sent him to Chicago and help propel the Bulls to their first three championships. He was a 1980 NBA All-Star and a 1979 selection to the NBA All-Rookie Team.

Kokoskov (ko-KOSH-kov) just completed his 10th season as an assistant coach in the NBA after entering the league in 2000 as a member of Gentry’s staff with the Los Angeles Clippers. The 38-year-old was the first full-time, non-American assistant coach in NBA history, and just one week ago on June 18 Kokoskov became an American citizen in a ceremony at US Airways Center.

The native of Belgrade, Yugoslavia, has served as the head coach of the Serbia and Montenegro national team, and most recently served in the same capacity for the Republic of Georgia. Kokoskov was an assistant coach for the Suns’ Las Vegas Summer League entries in both 2008 and 2009.

The Phoenix Suns have exercised the third-year option on head coach Alvin Gentry’s contract for the 2011-12 season, the club announced today.

“Alvin has done a phenomenal job as our head coach,” said Suns Managing Partner Robert Sarver. “His leadership and ability to connect with and lead our players was exceptional.”

Originally elevated as the 14th head coach in franchise history on an interim basis on Feb. 16, 2009, Gentry was named the club’s head coach on May 9, 2009. In just 113 games under his leadership, Gentry’s Suns have compiled a 72-41 (.637) record, giving him the third-highest winning percentage among coaches in franchise history (Paul Westphal, Mike D’Antoni).

The 30-year coaching veteran in both the professional and collegiate ranks took the reins of the Suns in 2009 with the stated goals of establishing a homecourt advantage, returning the club to its trademark offensive explosiveness, and developing a young, productive bench.

In just a season-plus under his leadership, the Suns own a 46-12 (.793) home mark, seventh-best of any NBA team in that span, and perhaps most impressively are 31-6 (.838) at home against the ultra-competitive Western Conference. Phoenix has led the NBA in scoring in each of the last two seasons and averaged 112.3 points during his tenure, even more than the trendsetting Suns posted from 2004-05 to 2007-08 (109.8). In 2009-10, the Suns bench ranked 10th in the NBA, averaging 33.2 points. Gentry and the bench gained national attention during the playoffs when the group increased its scoring average to 34.1 points, best in the NBA, as Gentry played 10 or more Suns in 16-straight postseason games for the first time since 1993.

In his first full season on the bench in 2009-10, Gentry was a two-time NBA Western Conference Coach of the Month for November 2009 and March 2010. In leading the Suns to 54 wins, his career-high as a coach, and the conference’s third-best record, Gentry finished fifth in NBA Coach of the Year voting.

Gentry became just the fifth head coach in franchise history to lead his team to a Western Conference Finals berth in his first full season. Gentry coached the Suns to 10 postseason victories in 2010, tied for the second-most in a single postseason in franchise history.

In 21 seasons in the NBA, Gentry has enjoyed three other head coaching stints with the Los Angeles Clippers (2000-03), Detroit Pistons (1997-2000) and Miami Heat (1995). He has worked alongside some of the game’s most respected coaches, including Larry Brown, Kevin Loughery, Doug Collins and Mike D’Antoni. Gentry joined the Suns organization as an assistant coach on June 1, 2004.

A point guard at Appalachian State under Press Maravich and Bobby Cremins, Gentry earned a degree in management in 1997 and began his coaching career as a graduate assistsant at the University of Colorado the following season.

The Dallas Mavericks announced today that they have traded the draft rights to center Solomon Alabi to the Toronto Raptors in exchange for the Raptors’ 2013 second round draft pick and cash. Alabi was the 50th overall selection of the 2010 NBA Draft.

The New Orleans Hornets selected Cole Aldrich with the 11th pick in the 2010 NBA Draft. The Hornets are in negotiations in trading Aldrich and guard Morris Peterson in exchange for multiple draft picks. We will not be able to complete a trade until after the moratorium period concludes on July 8.

The full trade specifics will be updated at a later time. Multiple media outlets report that the Oklahoma City Thunder are the not-yet-named team New Orleans is trading with.

“The concept that we liked was the idea of being able to add two players,” said General Manager Jeff Bower. “We thought that multiple picks was something that we wanted to pursue, particularly, with the opportunity to add two different types of players. We felt it does present us with those options, should the deal be finalized.”

New Orleans originally selected Kansas’ Aldrich at the 11th slot. An early entry candidate for the 2010 Draft, Aldrich averaged 11.3 points and 9.8 rebounds as a junior, registering 15 double-doubles. He owns the Kansas school record for blocks in a season (125) and second on the career blocked shots list.

Peterson holds career averages of 10.8 points, 3.5 rebounds, 1.5 assists and 27.4 minutes in 707 games (487 starts) with Toronto and New Orleans. Last season he played in 43 games (39 starts) for the Hornets, averaging 7.1 points, 2.7 rebounds and 0.9 points in 21.2 minutes per game.

“We’re excited to add a player like Martell who has the ability to shoot the basketball and display a rare athleticism on the floor. He fits in well with our stated desire to stay young and add maturity,” said David Kahn, Timberwolves President of Basketball Operations. “We want to thank Ryan Gomes for being the consummate professional both on and off the court during his time in Minnesota and wish him the best of luck in the future.”

Just 23 years old but a five-year veteran in the league, Webster owns career averages of 8.5 points and 3.1 rebounds in 301 games (164 starts) for the Blazers. The 6th overall pick in the 2005 NBA Draft out of Seattle Preparatory High School in Seattle, Wash., Webster rebounded to appear in all 82 games last season and post averages of 9.4 points and 3.3 rebounds per game after suffering a stress fracture in his left foot on opening night in 2008 that cause him to miss all but five minutes of the 2008-09 season. A career 37.2 percent shooter from behind the arc, Webster has connected on 120+ three-pointers in each of his last two full NBA seasons.

Gomes played three seasons in Minnesota, averaging 12.3 points and 5.1 rebounds in 240 games. The 50th overall pick by the Boston Celtics in the 2005 NBA Draft, Minnesota acquired Gomes in the 2007 trade that sent Kevin Garnett to Boston.

The Dallas Mavericks announced today that they have acquired the draft rights to Dominique Jones from the Memphis Grizzlies for cash considerations. Jones was originally the 25th overall pick in the 2010 NBA Draft by the Grizzlies.

Jones (6-4, 215) finished his three-year career at South Florida ranked fifth in career scoring (1,797 points), first in free throws attempted (615) and fifth in both field goals made (592) and attempted (1,339). He was named First Team All-Big East as a junior when he averaged 21.4 points, 6.1 rebounds, 3.6 assists and 1.7 steals per game.

The Lake Wales, Fla., native led the Bulls in scoring all each of his three years. He was an honorable mention All-American and a finalist for both the Wooden Award and Naismith Award as a junior and was the only player in the nation to average at least 21 points, six rebounds and three assists per contest. He ranked second in the Big East (15th in the nation) in scoring in his final season with South Florida.

“We are excited to add Dominique to our organization,” President of Basketball Operations Donnie Nelson said. “He is 6-4 with a 6-9 wingspan and can do a little of everything. He can score, he can rebound and his assist-to-turnover ratio is exceptional.”

Wallace’s retirement had been expected after the Celtics’ seven-game loss to the Lakers in the Finals, but Boston had held out some hope that the 35-year-old would change his mind with a few days’ contemplation.

Wallace signed a three-year, $18.9 million contract with Boston last summer, turning down offers from Orlando and San Antonio after the Celtics made a team-wide push to recruit him, sending Coach Doc Rivers, GM Danny Ainge and forwards Kevin Garnett and Paul Pierce to Wallace’s home to ask him to play in Boston. He left more than $12 million on the table by opting to retire.

The Chicago Bulls have a deal in place that would move Kirk Hinrich and the 17th pick to the Washington Wizards, freeing up enough cap space to pursue two maximum-salary players on this summer’s free-agent market, sources with knowledge of the Bulls’ plans said Thursday.

It wasn’t immediately clear what Washington would send to Chicago in the trade.

The deal can’t be officially consummated until July 8, when the Wizards will have room under the salary cap to absorb Hinrich’s $9 million contract without having to send back anything of similar value.

LeBron James has closely guarded his plans once his much-celebrated free agency starts next week. But the New York Knicks are making preparations like they are expecting to host his first stop.

According to a source, the Knicks are making plans to host an elaborate meal and meeting with James in a high-end location in Manhattan during the afternoon and evening of July 1, which is next Thursday. The tentative plan is for Knicks management and officials to host James and his various agents and friends for a large dinner party catered by a celebrity chef.

The Knicks are currently scouring the city for an available high-rise condo or apartment with a great view to rent for the event, the source said.

No, not by taking Hasheem Thabeet with their first pick in the draft. By passing on DeJuan Blair with their second one.

“We should have taken him,” Heisley said. “He was 15th on our list. But sometimes, in the heat of the moment, you get derailed. We got swayed by some discussions with the doctors. This year, we’re going to take the guy who is next on our list or someone is going to have to do a very good job explaining to me why we’re not.”

The Oklahoma City Thunder announced today that the team has acquired the 18th overall pick in the 2010 NBA Draft and guard Daequan Cook from the Miami Heat in exchange for the 32nd pick in the 2010 NBA Draft.

According to the Associated Press, “the deal announced by the Heat on Wednesday clears about $3.4 million in salary cap space as Miami gets ready for next week’s start of free agency.”

“We are pleased to add Daequan Cook to the Thunder roster,” said Sam Presti, Thunder Executive Vice President and General Manager. “He will add depth and shooting to our backcourt.”

The Thunder now holds the 18th, 21st, 26th and 51st picks in tomorrow’s NBA Draft.

The 23-year old Cook is a three-year NBA veteran and holds career averages of 8.0 points, 2.5 rebounds and 1.1 assists per game. He has appeared in 179 NBA games (26 starts) all with the Heat. Cook won the 2009 Foot Locker Three-Point shootout during the NBA All-Star weekend in Phoenix. The 6-5 guard has shot 35.8% from behind the arc for his career.

The Ohio State product was originally drafted by the Philadelphia 76ers with the 21st overall pick in the 2007 NBA Draft and was traded to Miami along with a second round pick and cash considerations.

With trade speculation swirling around him, Chris Paul said Wednesday that he’s open to a trade if the New Orleans Hornets aren’t committed to winning championships.

“My first choice is to be in New Orleans,” Paul said in a telephone interview from London. “I just want to make sure we’re committed to winning. If we’re not committed to winning and trying to get better so we can contend with the Lakers, the Celtics and all these other top teams, then I’m open to being traded.”

Reports that clubs have been making offers for Paul surfaced earlier this week. Hornets general manager Jeff Bower denied that the club was shopping its three-time All-Star point guard, but admitted to having dialogue with other teams concerning “all of our players.” New Hornets coach Monty Williams said he expects Paul to remain in New Orleans.

But around the league, speculation remains that the Hornets may move Paul.

The Chicago Bulls announced today the hiring of Tom Thibodeau as the 18th head coach in franchise history. In accordance with team policy, terms of the contract were not announced.

“I am extremely pleased to welcome Tom Thibodeau as our new head coach. As I went through the process to search for the next head coach of the Chicago Bulls, the longer the process went it became apparent that Tom was a perfect fit for the Bulls,” said Chicago Bulls General Manager Gar Forman. “He is a great communicator and teacher of the game, and he fits our organizational philosophy from a defensive standpoint. With his experience and knowledge of the NBA, I am confident he will be a great leader for our team.”

Thibodeau, 52, most recently served as Associate Head Coach for the Boston Celtics for the last three seasons. As the lead assistant on Doc Rivers’ coaching staff, Thibodeau was responsible for the team’s defensive principles and strategies. During his time in Boston, Thibodeau and the Celtics advanced to the NBA Finals in 2008 and 2010, and claimed the Celtics 17th NBA Championship in 2008.

“I am very excited to be here and to join the Bulls organization. Chicago is a great city with great fans and a storied history,” said Thibodeau. “I would like to thank Jerry Reinsdorf and Gar Forman for presenting me with such a terrific opportunity. We have a talented team with a good nucleus of players, and I am eager to get started.”

While in the NBA, Thibodeau has also manned the sidelines for the Minnesota Timberwolves (1989-91), the Seattle SuperSonics (1991-92, served as an Advance Scout), the San Antonio Spurs (1992-94), the Philadelphia 76ers (1994-96), the New York Knicks (1996-2003) and the Houston Rockets (2003-07). Over that span, he has worked under Bill Musselman, John Lucas, Jeff Van Gundy, Don Chaney and Doc Rivers.

An NBA veteran of 21 years, his teams have compiled an overall record of 896-794 (.530), and have made the playoffs 14 times, including three trips to the NBA Finals (1999, 2008 and 2010). His teams have also amassed a postseason record of 88-79 (.527). In 21 seasons, he has helped his teams rank in the NBA’s Top 10 in team defense 16 times. While with New York in 2000-01, the Knicks set a then-NBA record when they held 33 consecutive opponents under 100 points.

Over the last seven seasons, he helped the Rockets and Celtics rank among the top five in scoring defense seven times and in defensive field goal percentage six times. Over that same span, his teams finished in the top two in opponent field goal percentage six times. During the Celtics’ championship campaign in 2007-08, Boston allowed 90.3 ppg (99.2 ppg previous season, 18th in NBA), which ranked second in the NBA. The Celtics also limited their opponents to a league-low .419 shooting from the field (.468 previous season, 24th in NBA).

Thibodeau began his coaching career in 1981 as an assistant coach at his alma mater, Salem State College. After three seasons with the Vikings, he was promoted to head coach. In 1985, he joined Harvard University’s basketball staff as an assistant coach. He spent four seasons with the Crimson before embarking on his NBA career in 1989.

The New Britain, Conn. native graduated from Salem State with bachelor’s and master’s degrees in counseling. A four-year letter winner in basketball, he was inducted into the New Britain Sports Hall of Fame in 1998.

Memphis Grizzlies president of business operations Greg Campbell says he regrets the loss of senior vice president of arena operations Steve Zito, who has resigned effective July 9 to become president of sports and entertainment for Andy Frain Services.

But it’s the imprints that Zito leaves behind that have Campbell confident the Grizzlies will move forward. Zito had been with the Grizzlies for five years, Andy Frain provides security at various sports venues across the country.

“You always hate to lose a great, great player on any team,” Campbell said Tuesday. “But it sounds like he’s got a great opportunity to use his wisdom wisely at a number of places around the country. It’s going to be sad, but you’ve got to be happy for him, too.”

The Toronto Star is reporting that Detroit Pistons forward Charlie Villanueva faces a charge of domestic assault after a May 19 incident in Burlington, Ontario.

The newspaper reported that the 25-year-old Villanueva was released by Halton Regional Police on a promise to appear in court on July 9. The name of complainant and other details about the incident weren’t available Tuesday.

His lawyer, Owen Wigderson, told the Toronto Star that Villanueva, “denies all allegations of wrongdoing and I’m very confident that he’ll be exonerated.”

InsideHoops.com says

Until there is real reason to think otherwise we will automatically assume and hope that Charlie is innocent.

The Milwaukee Bucks have acquired forward Corey Maggette (6-6, 225) and a 2010 second round draft pick (44th overall) from the Golden State Warriors for guard Charlie Bell and center Dan Gadzuric, General Manager John Hammond announced today. The Bucks now have four draft choices in Thursday’s 2010 NBA Draft including one in the first round (15th overall – from Chicago) and three second round selections (37th overall – from Philadelphia, 44th overall from Golden State via Portland and Chicago, and 47th overall).

An 11-year NBA veteran, Maggette averaged 19.8 points, 5.3 rebounds and 2.5 assists in 70 games for Golden State last season. He ranked 17th in the NBA in scoring average and 19th in field goal percentage (.516), while holding the distinction of owning the league’s highest scoring average for a player who logged fewer than 30.0 minutes per game (29.7 mpg). Maggette was one of seven NBA players to average at least 19.0 points and shoot at least 50 percent from the field, and one of five NBA players to average double figures in scoring, shoot 50 percent from the field and 80 percent from the free throw line. His 7.9 free throw attempts per game ranked 7th in the NBA last season.

“Corey has been a consistent scorer throughout his career,” said Hammond. “He shoots a solid percentage from the field and has shown the ability to get to the free throw line. We’re looking forward to having him in a Bucks uniform.”

A native of Melrose Park, IL, Maggette, 30, was originally drafted by Seattle (Oklahoma City Thunder) in the first round (13th overall) of the 1999 NBA Draft and traded on draft night to Orlando along with Dale Ellis, Don MacLean and Billy Owens for Horace Grant and two future second round draft picks. Following his rookie campaign with the Magic, Maggette was sent to the L.A. Clippers with Derek Strong, the draft rights to Keyon Dooling and future considerations for a future first round draft pick. After eight seasons with the Clippers, Maggette signed as an unrestricted free agent with Golden State prior to the 2008-09 season. In 710 career NBA games, Maggette has averaged 16.6 points, 5.1 rebounds and 2.2 assists while shooting .458 from the field and .821 from the free throw line.

Gadzuric (6-11, 245) appeared in 32 games for the Bucks last season and averaged 2.8 points and 2.9 rebounds in 9.8 minutes per game. Selected by Milwaukee with the 34th overall pick in the 2002 NBA Draft, Gadzuric, 32, has played in 483 games for the Bucks over his eight-year NBA career with averages of 4.9 points and 4.5 rebounds per game. He ranks 8th all-time in franchise history in blocked shots (418).

Bell (6-3, 200) played in 71 games for Milwaukee last season and averaged 6.5 points, 1.5 assists and 1.9 rebounds per game. In five seasons with the Bucks, Bell averaged 9.0 points, 2.3 rebounds and 2.4 assists in 350 games. He ranks 4th in team history in three-point field goals made with 432. Bell, 31, began his NBA career with Phoenix and Dallas during the 2001-02 season. He played in the Italian League from 2001-04 and led the league in scoring (25.5 ppg) for Virtus Kinder Bologna in 2003-04. He played for Breogan in the Spanish League during the 2004-05 season and was named to the First Team with averages of 27.0 points, 3.3 rebounds and 1.9 assists per game.

Charles F. Gardner of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel reports:

The Bucks completed a trade late Tuesday afternoon to acquire forward Corey Maggette from the Golden State Warriors in exchange for guard Charlie Bell and center Dan Gadzuric, according to basketball sources.

Marcus Thompson of the Contra Costa Times blog reports:

The Warriors get rid of one of their biggest contracts (3 years, $31 million), which aids in their bid to add a difference-maker this offseason.

The Warriors now have two expiring contracts worth more than $13 million in Gadzuric and Vladimir Radmanovic.